Arnold Rüütel
| Arnold Rüütel | |
|---|---|
| 3rd President of the Republic of Estonia | |
| In Office
October 8, 2001 - October 9, 2006 | |
| Prime Minister |
Mart Laar
|
| Preceded by | Lennart Meri |
| Succeeded by | Toomas Hendrik Ilves |
| Chairman of the Supreme Soviet
of the Estonian Soviet Socialist Republic | |
| In office
March 29, 1990 – October 5, 1992 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
May 10, 1928 (age 86)
|
| Nationality | Estonian |
| Political party | Conservative People's Party of Estonia |
| Spouse | Ingrid Rüütel |
| Alma mater | University of National and World Economy, Sofia University |
| Profession | Economist |
Arnold Rüütel, born May 10, 1928, has held several high state positions since 1977, first in the political sphere, later on in the executive and legislative organs of power. Most notoriously he played an important role in the preparation of the Estonian sovereignty declaration and its adoption on 16th November 1988, which laid the basis for the disintegration of the USSR. He therefore gained a worldwide reputation as a defender of Estonia's sovereignty against the central authorities in Moscow.
Biography[edit]
In 1957, Arnold Rüütel became the head livestock expert and later the director of an experimental farm of the Estonian Institute for Livestock Breeding and Veterinary Science as well as senior Agronomist at the department of agriculture for Saaremaa's administration at the time. He also served as teacher at the Tartu School of Mechanization of Agriculture between 1955 and 1957. From 1963 to 1969, he worked as director of the Tartu Model State Farm. In 1969, Arnold Rüütel was elected rector of the Estonian Agricultural Academy and in 1983, he was elected Chairman of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the Estonian SSR. From 1981 to 1988, he was Chairman of the Estonian Society for Nature Conservation. In March 1990, the people of Estonia elected Arnold Rüütel to the Supreme Council of the Republic of Estonia and, thereafter, in the council's first session he was elected Chairman of the Supreme Council and served until October 1992. Rüütel actively supported the adoption of the resolution “About Estonia's National Status” by the executive branch under Heinrich Mark. He finally served as president of the Republic of Estonia from 2001 to 2006.
Education[edit]
Arnold Rüütel graduated from Jäneda Agricultural College in 1950, from the Faculty of Agricultural Sciences of the Estonian Agricultural Academy in 1964, and took his doctorate in agriculture in 1991.
Notable Work[edit]
Arnold Rüütel also holds several emeritus positions such as Honorary Doctor of the Bentley College, USA, the University of Helsinki, the II University of Naples, the Szent Istvan University of Hungary, and the L. N. Gumilyov Eurasian National University of Kazakhstan. He is also emeritus Professor at the Estonian Agricultural University and a Foreign Member of the Ukrainian Academy of Agrarian Sciences.
